Guillaume Gaudet

by Inside Out

I love this photograph above. It was taken by Guillaume Gaudet as he was walking past the overflooded Seine river in Paris last year.

The French photographer is now based in New York, where he carries his camera through many of its boroughs. In fact, you may have noticed his picture of the Bedford Avenue Subway Station in our ‘Williamsburg, New York’ story in our latest issue. Here’s a little more info about this city-curious artist.

Have you always been into photography? I first started taking pictures in high school. I didn’t take it really seriously, I just wanted to get some souvenirs of that period of my life. I did some portraits in college, but after that I would mostly take pictures while on vacation abroad.

When did you start photographing New York? I started photographing NYC when I moved to the city in 2007. I would mostly shoot in Manhattan because I was working on a photography book about New York, which I published on Blurb. It’s a sort of “wandering” from Brooklyn Heights to Central Park. It gives a glimpse of all the different districts of Manhattan, such as the Lower East Side, Tribeca, the Meatpacking District, etc. While working on this first personal project, I got to know Manhattan by heart and, at the same time, develop my photography skills. From then, I’ve tried to take more edgy and artistic pictures.

Do you have favourite parts of New York that you like to shoot? Or do you prefer being surprised by new areas of city that you don’t know about?After roaming in Manhattan so many times, I’m now trying to spend more time in less touristic parts of the city such as Red Hook and Williamsburg. I don’t really have a favourite place; I’m always looking for new areas, especially those that have kept a soul and are not already gentrified. I would have loved to have taken pictures in the ‘70s and ‘80s. I like the rough parts of New York.

Are there places in New York that you haven’t been to, that you would still like to photograph?I love NYC because it offers a piece of the world. When you go to some neighborhoods, it’s like you’re travelling in a different country. I haven’t been to a lot of places in Brooklyn, in Queens or outer boroughs. I still have a lot to discover, that’s what I like in New York.

What are your favourite places to visit in New York? The great thing with NYC is the amazing choice of restaurants, types of food, shops, etc. I don’t really have favourite places because I love to experience new ones. If people are looking for nice restaurants, I suggest going to Brooklyn, it’s where things are happening right now in terms of food. I would recommend Dumont restaurant in Williamsburg (for one of the best burgers in NYC), Motorino for a pizza, Buttermilk Channel for the fried chicken, etc. B&H is a must for people looking for photo equipment.

What are other cities you like to photograph?I like cities that have a strong personality. I’ve lived in Spain, Argentina and Germany when I was young and mostly travelled in Europe afterwards. I really liked Istanbul and would be happy to go back there. I’ve not been to Asia already. I’d like to go to Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, Mumbai. So many things to do on my list.

Where can people see your work? Some of my pictures are on sale in galleries in Paris, Bruxelles, New York and maybe soon in Singapore. I also sell myself pictures via my website. I’ve already sold prints to a person living in Melbourne actually. And I usually use my Facebook page to post updates on my work.

You can also follow Guillaume on Twitter: find him under the name I Shoot NY.

Comment

Thanks for your lovely comments.
Mrs Bok, the mystery is solved here - Guillaume said on his blog that he was walking by river, noticed it was flooded, and then ...

“At the West edge of L’Ile Saint-Louis was a drowned streetlight. I took some pics and thought that it might also be nice to take some photos from above. When I reached the upper level, a girl was at the edge of the bank, smoking a cigarette. At some point, she decided to stand on the small bench surrounded by the water. A perfect timing.”

We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites. This is also known as Online Behavioural Advertising. You can find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out here